NBC's Nancy Snyderman Declares Romney Bet 'A Disastrous Move'

During a panel discussion on Tuesday's NBC Today, NBC chief medical editor Nancy Snyderman decried Mitt Romney proposing a $10,000 bet in the latest Republican debate: "I watched it live, and it was one of those moments where I immediately went [gasp] and you could just – even in your own living room, everything came to a halt. It was a disastrous move."

Advertising executive Donny Deutsch disagreed while still taking a shot at the GOP field: "Look, with the inane things the candidates are saying, in the scheme of things, it's not a big deal." He further added: "Jack Kennedy's family was the fifth wealthiest family in the country when he was elected. This is not a barometer, it's irrelevant."

Attorney Star Jones chimed in: "The problem is, though, no one really resents that you're rich. We just resent when you don't take into account that other people are not....That's out of touch." Snyderman agreed: "Yeah, it's the out-of-touch aspect."

Co-host Matt Lauer actually took Deutsch's side of the debate: "But Donny does have a point, it doesn't matter how much money you have, it really matters whether you have solutions that can help the problems of poor people and middle class people." Snyderman replied by ranting: "And guess what? There were no solutions offered up in that debate."

Lauer began the "Today's Professionals" panel segment by wondering: "Did the media make too much of that story?" In a report earlier in the show, White House correspondent Chuck Todd referred to Romney's bet as "infamous."

Here is a transcript of the December 13 exchange:

8:10AM ET SEGMENT:

MATT LAUER: Let's start with a topic that's been in the headlines the last couple of days. Mitt Romney during a debate offers Rick Perry a $10,000 bet. Did the media make too much of that story? How do you think it played in the heartland?

NANCY SNYDERMAN: I watched it live, and it was one of those moments where I immediately went [gasp] and you could just – even in your own living room, everything came to a halt. It was a disastrous move.

DONNY DEUTSCH: Look, with the inane things the candidates are saying, in the scheme of things, it's not a big deal. You have little kids that'll say, "I'll bet you a million dollars." And by the way-

SNYDERMAN: But he's not a little kid.

DEUTSCH: But by the way, people say, "Oh, because he's wealthy." Jack Kennedy's family was the fifth wealthiest family in the country when he was elected. This is not a barometer, it's irrelevant.

STAR JONES: The problem is, though, no one really resents that you're rich. We just resent when you don't take into account that other people are not.

DEUTSCH: But that has nothing-

JONES: And that – and using a $10,000 bet-

SNYDERMAN: It's the out-of-touch aspect

JONES: That's out of touch.

DEUTSCH: It's just not connected.

SNYDERMAN: Yeah, it's the out-of-touch aspect.

LAUER: But Donny does have a point, it doesn't matter how much money you have, it really matters whether you have solutions that can help the problems of poor people and middle class people.

SNYDERMAN: Right.

JONES: Because everybody would like to have a little bit more, no one has a problem with that.

SNYDERMAN: And guess what? There were no solutions offered up in that debate.

(...)


- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.